East Dunbartonshire Council house rents to rise by 3.9 per cent

Council house rents are set to increase by 3.9 per cent after a meeting of East Dunbartonshire councillors last week.

The average weekly rent will increase from £70.52 to £73.27 – a monthly raise of £11.

According to the council, the rise will raise £13.2 million – the income required by the council to balance its housing revenue account.

Thomas Glen, Depute Chief Executive with responsibility for the Housing Service, said: “Our revenue budget of just over £13.8 million pounds will ensure that we continue to deliver an affordable and sustainable housing service to our tenants.

“The proposed increase has been met with broad agreement from tenants and tenants groups through our consultation process and comparisons with our peer group authorities shows proposed increases ranging between 1.5 per cent and five per cent.”

Mr Glen added: “Our capital budget of £13 million pounds was also approved and will ensure that we can continue to invest in our current housing stock, improving kitchens, bathrooms, windows, roofs.

“In addition to maintenance and improvement costs it includes £8 million for building new homes and £1 million to purchase properties on the open market.”

The council said its housing capital programme for 2018/19 will ensure it can: maintain the Scottish Housing Quality Standard for all Council properties; continue progress towards the 2020 Energy Efficient Standard for Social Housing (with associated economic and environmental benefits) and increase the HRA stock by 375 new council homes in the next five years.